Petrol prices driven higher by the Iran war have surged by 5p a litre in a single week, with the RAC warning there is ‘no sign of any relief’ for drivers at the forecourt.
The motoring organisation said a litre of unleaded now costs 167.17p, the biggest weekly increase since April. Diesel has risen by the same margin to 188.63p a litre.
The jump marks the latest consequence of the US-Israel war with Iran, which began at the end of February and has severely disrupted crude oil supplies across the Middle East.
Petrol prices Iran war drives Brent crude back to $100
The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, has returned to $100 a barrel for the first time since July as hostilities escalated again. On Tuesday, US forces struck five Iranian tankers after Tehran targeted one of its warships. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement also attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Brent reached $120 a barrel in April before pulling back. Before the conflict started, it was trading at $70. RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said the events illustrated how exposed UK drivers can be to developments thousands of miles away.
The 5p a litre rise has added £2.75 to the cost of filling a family-sized car over the past week, Dennis said.
‘Drivers are having to dig ever deeper into their pockets every time they fill up, and there’s no sign of any relief yet,’ he said. ‘With the cost of a barrel of oil having averaged $96 for the last week, wholesale prices are surging and that’s already feeding through to prices at the forecourt.’
Dennis urged motorists to drive as efficiently as possible and to seek out the cheapest forecourts available.
Diesel approaching all-time high as fuel costs climb further
The picture has continued to darken since the figures published by the RAC. According to BBC News, the RAC has reported that diesel prices have since hit an all-time high of 199.18p per litre. Petrol has also continued to climb, with a litre now costing 174.13p, BBC News reported.
The current petrol price compares with levels not seen since September 2022. Diesel at 188.63p at the time of the RAC’s weekly figures remained below the 191.54p reached in April, though the subsequent all-time high of 199.18p has now surpassed that peak.
The pressure on UK pump prices reflects a broader global trend. The US Energy Information Administration recorded a rise in the national average for regular gasoline from $4.071 per gallon on 31 August to $4.478 by 21 September, according to Automotive Fleet.
The conflict’s effect on oil markets has been sharp and sustained. Crude is a key input for both petrol and diesel, and continued fighting in the Middle East has kept supply routes under pressure. With Brent well above pre-conflict levels and wholesale costs feeding through to forecourts, drivers face little immediate respite while hostilities continue.
